Lost in the Weeds

January 19^th, 2020     “Lost in the Weeds”     Rev. Heather Jepsen

Mark 4:1-34

         This morning our narrative lectionary continues following the story of Jesus as told in the Gospel of Mark.  In our past readings we have studied Jesus’ healing of both individuals and community.  Jesus has battled the forces of evil and he has brought the gift of the forgiveness of sins to the people of God.  Today we find Jesus teaching his followers about the kingdom of God.

         Jesus’ preferred method for teaching in the gospel of Mark is through parables.  Even though we associate parables mostly with Jesus, their use was actually a common teaching technique in the ancient world.  In the parable, the teacher uses an analogy to help people understand an idea or concept.  Jesus uses agrarian imagery in his parables because it would make sense for the people he was speaking to at the time since theirs was a largely agrarian society.

         The problem with the parables is that they don’t work as well in our modern setting.  The agrarian imagery doesn’t translate well to us.  Plus, we are not standing on a hillside listening to Jesus speak.  Rather, we are reading a Bible and trying to make meaning from it.  Jesus’ parables were not meant so much as an idea to be analyzed for answers.  Rather, they were told as something that we might participate in.  Listening to parables is an experience that discloses a reality.  You don’t study it, you participate in it.  You don’t get an answer with it, you get an experience.  Rather than a math problem with one correct answer, a parable is like a poem which gives us a sense of a deeper truth.  Like so much of our faith, the parables of Jesus are open to interpretation.

         Our reading this morning has too many parables to look at in just one sermon so I am going to focus on the end of the passage with the parables of the growing seed and the mustard seed.  In all of these parables Jesus is teaching about the kingdom or the realm of God.  He says that the realm of God is like a farmer who planted seeds and fell asleep.  All by themselves the seeds sprouted and produced grain.  The farmer then is ready for the harvest.  The realm of God is like a mustard seed; a tiny seed that one can barely see and yet sprouts up to be a great bush.  The realm of God is like a seed sprouting, it seemingly just happens by itself.

         Modern readers love the mustard seed parable.  “Oh yeah” we say “The mustard seed, that’s great”.  What we forget is that the mustard plant was a weed.  First century Christians would have hated it.  This is one of those places where things get lost in translation. 

Imagine if Jesus said, the realm of God is like a dandelion.  You never know where it comes from.  The gentle breezes blow the tiny seed into your lawn, and before you know it, the most beautiful flowers appear.  That sounds silly to us but that is how folks would have responded to the mustard seed.  The realm of God is like weeds blowing around in the air.  The realm of God is like weeds that sprout up all by themselves, ruining your perfect lawn or garden.  When Jesus says the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, he is saying that it is like the most annoying weed you know.  Doesn’t that change things a bit?

As believers, we like to imagine or even hope; that because we have faith our lives will be perfect.  I have often wondered where we got such a silly idea.  It doesn’t take much reading of the Bible to discover that for believers throughout history life was far from perfect.

We remember perfect Adam and Eve, but we forget their sons Cain and Abel.  We remember Noah and his family, but we forget that time he got drunk embarrassing his sons.  We remember perfect Abraham and Sarah, and forget poor Hagar on the side.  We remember the great David, and we forget his killing of Uriah.  We remember the wisdom of King Solomon, and we forget his giant harem and how he leaves the kingdom in shambles.  We remember Jesus, and we forget how his family called him crazy, his church killed him, and his friends abandoned him to die alone.  We remember the teacher Paul, and we forget Saul who willingly killed people who disagreed with him about the nature of God.

My friends, the realm of God doesn’t happen in a perfect place.  The people of God are not a perfect people.  Not even close.  Throughout the scriptures we find God not in decency and good order, not when things are going according to plan, but in the messy places of life.  Jesus didn’t say the kingdom of God was like a rose garden that you worked so hard on to make perfect.  No, he said the kingdom of God was like the weeds that sprout up when you are sleeping.

We see this messy streak in the other parables Jesus tells in this chapter as well.  For what is the parable of the sower if not a story of a reckless farmer who is wastefully casting seeds willy-nilly all over the place and not carefully planning and planting?  And what could be more messy and frustrating then the disciples not understanding the parables?  Jesus seems exasperated as he spells everything out to them over and over again.

In fact, when we look closely the text itself is messy and problematic.  What are we supposed to do with the part where Jesus quotes from Isaiah?  “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that ‘they may look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.”  What are we supposed to do with that?  Why would Jesus deliberately say things that prevent people from understanding and receiving forgiveness?  If that’s not a patch of weeds I don’t know what is! 

The good news of these parables is that God is with us when we are lost in the weeds.  If we are lost in the weeds of the scripture, God is there.  If we are lost in the weeds of our lives, God is there.  We find God in the messy places of our lives, when things are falling apart, when we are weak and tired.  We find God when we are broken and hurt and feel most alone.  We find God when we don’t understand what Jesus is saying so we just keep reading and looking and searching through the weeds.  We find God among the weeds, because it is when we are lost in the weeds that we most need God.  It is when we are lost in the weeds that we most need grace and forgiveness, hospitality and love, for others and for ourselves. 

Just like the seed that grows while the farmer sleeps, the realm of God just happens.  No matter how messy and imperfect our lives are, the realm of God just happens.  No matter how many weeds sprout up around us, the realm of God just happens.  Like the little flower sprouting out of a crack in the sidewalk, the realm of God springs up all around us of its own power.  It is just there, like the dandelion in our lawn, and it doesn’t need us to do anything.  The realm of God just is, weeds and all.

So today, as you think about our world I am sure you will find that life isn’t perfect.  I am sure that while today might be a good day for you, overall you will find that life generally doesn’t go according to plan.  Sometimes our world is more weeds then flowers.  God is in that.  God is there when it is all beautiful and happy and works out.  But God is also there, if not more so, when it is messy and just doesn’t click.  Nothing’s perfect, nobody’s perfect, and that’s OK.  God is with us, especially when we’re lost in the weeds.  Because what is the kingdom of God, if not a dandelion seed blowing on the wind?  Amen.